Implementation of Electronic Clinical Decision Support for Pediatric Appendicitis

Study of the implementation of clinical decision support on the rates of CT scanning for pediatric patients presenting with abdominal pain (and possible appendicitis) to 2 large, tertiary emergency departments. Decision support in this case consisted of an order set, a web-based risk stratification tool, and an alert presented at the time of CT ordering to guide practitioners in the use of the latter tools. Results showed about a 50% decrease in the rate of CT scan ordering, with no increase in missed appendicitis or other complications. In the studied population, 28% of patients had appendicitis.